Yolanda Brown Melián

Yolanda Brown Melián was born in Tenerife, Spain. She had studied English at university in ULL and a master in Classical Theatre. She worked as a translator and interpreter in English, Spanish and Italian languages. She also has worked as a Tv presenter, and she had roles in different films and soap operas. She is finishing a PhD in Literature at the UAM university in Madrid. She also writes in her free time, and she has finished the script of a Tv pilot for Tv series. Los Aspirantes -The Applicants- a fiction comedy. She decided to produce it despite Covid struggles. It was hard to finish it due to Covid restrictions, but in the end she could with the help of friends. To be a filmmaker and a film director at the same time it wasn’t an easy task, so she directed it together with Kevin Ramos who is a very good one. I could make it with his help and with the help of the whole team. I have received many awards and trophies for my project Los Aspirantes -The Applicants- from 2022 till now and I think it is a challenge because we are independent filmmakers.

Kevin Ramos was born in Alicante. He is a film director and an actor who studied filming in Ciudad de la Luz in Alicante. He won an award in Valencia for a film against drugs. He is the film director of several films, shorts and videoclips. He has won an award in two film festivals as the best film director, and he continues his studies in the Film Academy. He now lives in Madrid. He has received many awards Directing Los Aspirantes -The Applicants- from 2022 till now and he is still on the run to improve his projects.

Your project has entered in our festival. What is your project about?
“Los Aspirantes-The Applicants- “is a hilarious comedy set in a recruitment agency called Holliwood where everything turns into a disaster. Every single person in the office is tempted into getting a better job and they compete with the applicants for that purpose. Most of the situations are surrealistic and funny so you never know what is going to happen. The more jobs offered, the more situations to laugh at. Who needs the job?

The technique used is impro and the style followed is “The French New wave”. We considered Tv serials like “The Office”, “Superstore”, “Community”, “Atypical” o “El Método”.
The characters are stereotypes, and it is a social economic criticism about seeking a job. We focus on the importance of social pressure, economic crisis, discrimination, inclusion, diversity, the role of women in society, the struggles in seeking a job and much more.

What are your ambitions with your project?
We filmed it with the idea of selling the idea to other countries or producers and with that money we can film it in Spain. We are independent filmmakers.

Tell us something about your shooting? What pleasantly surprised you?
The crew participated happily because they enjoy acting in fiction comedies. We have to say that their acting technique is Impro. The cast is very good at improvisation what makes the acting more natural and dynamic. They are all professional actors.

For what group of spectators is your film targeted?
Our film is targeted for all the audiences.

Why should distributors buy your film?
We think it is a good point of view of life. We have always watched the ordinary office with typical workers, so this recruitment office is not the normal one. All the employers and employees are a bit mad and the employers don’t want the applicants to get the jobs. They are also fucked up by the system. Their behaviour is really shocking.

How would you specify your work? What characterizes your film?
The technique used is impro and the style followed is “The French New wave”. We considered Tv serials like “The Office”, “Superstore”, “Community”, “Atypical” o “El Método”. The characters are stereotypes, and it is a social economic criticism about seeking a job. You can see that one of the characters thinks he is “The Rock”, the character played by Dwayne Johnson. The characters also have stream of consciousness. They can speak to the audience telling their thoughts and nobody will pay attention, the others just keep on going doing their stuff.

Why did you decided to become a filmmaker?
Because since I was little, I wanted to be an actress because you could be whoever you wanted to. If you wanted to be a lawyer, a detective, an astronaut…you could be all of them. Later, I started writing poems and short stories. I studied English Literature and now I’m finishing my PhD in Postmodernism. One year before the Covid lockdown I decided to write a comedy and film it. For me now, it is better being a filmmaker as you can decide how to film a story. Imagination is the key.

Who is your role model?
If we talk about actor and actress, I have always liked several actors or actresses. I don´t have any one in mind. I like Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Charlize Theron, Cate Blanchett… If we think about film directors or filmmakers, I love these ones who are great filmmakers: Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino.

Which movies are your favourites? Why?
The Intouchables is a film I love due to its feelings and humour. I think it teaches you a lot. Avatar, too because I like its FX.

Where do you look for inspiration for your films?
I love comedy so I like to watch, the latest ones.

Which topics interest you the most?
I’m interested in feelings and emotions.

What do you consider your greatest achievement in your career?
The ability of being able to get together with good actors and introducing them the thigs that I want them to do. The technique used in this comedy is IMPRO.

What do you consider most important about filming?
The techniques used, for example. I like the Impro technique, the French New Wave and the technique used by the filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. All that mixed with Breaking the Fourth Wall technique.

Which film technique of shooting do you consider the best?
Impro and Breaking the Fourth Wall techniques.

How would you rate/What is your opinion about current filmmaking?
There are many films nowadays that are introducing different techniques and approaches. Experimental films, for example, are cracking today.

What can disappoint you in a movie?
    If it doesn’t draw your attention. A film must trap you.

Who supports you in your film career?
Nobody. I paid all by myself. I had the aid of friends, too.

What are the reactions to your film? (Opinion of spectators, film critics, friends, and family).
They think it is hilarious, funny and entertaining.

Have you already visited any of the prestigious film festivals?
I have been in Toronto in TINFF, we are waiting for Tribeca Film Festival in June and we would like to go to Cannes and London, too.

What are your future plans in filmmaking Carriere?
We would like to sell our project to other countries, to make it here in Spain and start another projects soon. I’m starting to write another screenplay. I wrote Los Aspirantes -The Applicants-

Learn more about Yolanda at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3434641/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk